LEARNING FROM THE PAST:
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION
SALZBURG GLOBAL SEMINAR
JUNE 27-JULY 1, 2012
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LEARNING FROM THE PAST: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION JUNE 27– JULY 1, 2012
THIS SESSION WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM:
A special thanks to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam for contributing support for the participants on the Turkey Panel
Please note that the opinions expressed in this report are those of individual conference participants, and do not necessarily reflect those of the organizers or of institutions involved in this conference, including the Salzburg Global Seminar and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
More than a half century after the end of World War The ITF currently has 31 member countries, many of II, the world is still attempting to come to terms with them directly affected by the Holocaust and all but the horrors of the Holocaust. Countless educational two (Israel and Argentina) located in Europe or North programs, scholarly publications, memorial and America. These ITF member countries committed commemorative sites, teacher training programs, and themselves to the implementation of national policies outreach initiatives have been designed in an effort to and programs in support of Holocaust education, educate the public, foster remembrance and convey remembrance, and research. But how do countries the message, ‟Never again”. outside of the framework of the ITF regard Holocaust education: do they for example follow UN resolutions In 1998 Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, on commemorating the Holocaust? If so, how is it appalled at the lack of knowledge on the subject taught, and with what purpose? Can teaching about among schoolchildren in his country, spearheaded an the Holocaust serve as a framework for international campaign for the promotion of understanding other genocides, especially in Holocaust education which resulted in the countries directly affected by mass atrocities? Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust, announcing the establishment of what In order to address these issues, the Salzburg Global is now known as the Task Force for International Seminar (SGS) and the United States Holocaust Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, Memorial Museum (USHMM), with support from the and Research (ITF). The ITF was commended by the Austrian Future Fund, the ITF, and the National Fund UN General Assembly in its November 1, 2005 of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Resolution, resolving that the UN will designate Socialism, are seeking to investigate the current January 27 as an annual International Day of status of Holocaust and genocide education in Commemoration in memory of the victims of the countries that are not, or not yet, ITF members. For Holocaust and urging member states to develop this purpose, in June 2012 the SGS brought together educational programs that “will inculcate future experts and practitioners of Holocaust and genocide generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order education primarily from non-ITF countries for a to prevent future acts of genocide.” * symposium in Salzburg on ‟Learning from the Past: Global Perspectives on Holocaust Education”.
*The UN Resolution 60/7 on Holocaust Remembrance was followed by Resolution 34C/61 of the General Conference of UNESCO on “Education for Holocaust Remembrance” (2007).
PARTICIPANTS SESSION OBJECTIVES 2 3
BEYOND THE ITF
Legend ITF member countries Non-ITF participant countries
PARTICIPANTS The 2012 symposium, chaired by Dr. Klaus Mueller, drew on a core group of participants who had given advice from the outset, including experts from Austria, France, South Africa and the United States. In addition, a number of new participants from countries outside the ITF were invited. In total 28 people participated in the session, of whom 20 came from 15 countries outside the ITF. Participants included both women and men from different professional backgrounds as well as from countries with different relationships to the Holocaust, namely:
countries directly affected by the Holocaust: Macedonia, Ukraine; countries not directly affected by the Holocaust but where Holocaust education is part of the national curriculum: Ecuador, South Africa; countries where Holocaust education is not part of the national curriculum (but might be included in other subject areas, and/or taught in private or religious schools, or is currently considered to be taught ): Chile, Mexico; countries with their own history of genocide: Armenia, Cambodia, Rwanda; countries with no direct link to the Holocaust, but in which some educators have shown a keen interest in the Holocaust’s universal significance, and related it to events in their own country’s experience: China, Ghana, Korea, Morocco, Turkey, Venezuela.
In terms of professional background and expertise, participants included professors and other educators, researchers, directors of Holocaust or genocide centers, and representatives from NGOs, government ministries or international organizations. Staff from the USHMM and the SGS facilitated and coordinated the meetings.
*The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research known as ITF is an in- tergovernmental body whose purpose is to place political and social leaders' support behind the need for Holocaust educa- tion, remembrance, and research both nationally and internationally. ITF countries currently include: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States of America.
PARTICIPANTS SESSION OBJECTIVES 2 3
SESSION OBJECTIVES
The objective of the symposium was to build on the Morocco, Ecuador, Rwanda, South Africa, South work of the previous two years and to focus on Korea, Turkey, and Ukraine. whether and how Holocaust education can function as a point of departure for confronting histories of An important component to the symposium was the human rights abuses and instances of mass violence discussion and input by participants on a draft of a or genocide within different regional and national global study of Holocaust education outside the ITF contexts in countries outside the ITF. commissioned by the USHMM. The study consists of Specific questions discussed included: two parts: an in-depth analytical study, Learning Can the Holocaust function as a reference point From the Past: Global Perspectives on Holocaust for understanding contemporary genocides? Education, and an Environmental Scan of Holocaust Education-Related Issues in Non-ITF Countries, What approaches have been developed in presenting a brief overview of the subject by country. different regions and cultures for teaching about Reactions to the drafts would then be used by the the Holocaust within the context of a human editors to prepare a final draft. rights curriculum?
How applicable are the ITF Education Working Group 2010 Recommendations for educators teaching about the Holocaust and other BACKGROUND genocides around the world? What are the benefits and drawbacks of The Salzburg Global Seminar’s Initiative on Holocaust, embedding Holocaust education within a Genocide and Human Rights Education evolved out of curriculum that includes a human rights an initial conference convened by the SGS in 2009 on perspective and/or the teaching of other ‟Preventing Genocide and Mass Violence: What can genocides? be learned from history?” The results of that conference indicated that there was a need to The symposium was designed to examine programs investigate more deeply the links between Holocaust which connect teaching about the Holocaust, other education and genocide prevention. The initiative has genocides, and/or human rights in other parts of the been developed primarily with support of the world. Participants closely reviewed the work that is Austrian Future Fund and in cooperation with the being conducted in a number of countries including United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Within Armenia, Cambodia, China/Hong Kong/Macau, the initiative, there are two programmatic strands: one focused on Holocaust Education, the other on Genocide Prevention.
The program strand on Holocaust Education, chaired by Dr. Klaus Mueller of the USHMM, was launched in 2010 with a conference entitled “The Global Prevention of Genocide: Learning from the Holocaust.” This founding conference was funded by the Future Fund of the Republic of Austria and the Jacob Blaustein Institute of the American Jewish Committee. Its explicit goal was to explore the connections as well as the divisions between the fields of Holocaust education, genocide prevention, and human rights. Furthermore, the 2010 conference served to set the agenda for future SGS programs on Holocaust education and genocide prevention. In Klaus Mueller, Maria Balsa (Venezuela) and Alejandra June 2011 a planning meeting was held in Salzburg to Morales Stekel (Chile) prepare for the 2012 conference.
PREPARATION AND FORMAT SUMMARY FINDINGS 4 5
PRE-SESSION PREPARATION: SYMPOSIUM FORMAT:
Prior to the meeting, participants were asked to: In addition to the opening panel welcoming the par- Read and analyze the ITF paper, “Holocaust, ticipants and providing context for the meeting, the genocide and crimes against humanity: symposium featured five panels over three days, Suggestions for classroom teachers”, with a view treating the following key themes: to discussing it in working groups. A digest of their Conceptual development of learning from the comments on the paper will be presented to the past: Global perspectives on Holocaust education ITF at its annual conference in December 2012 Successes and challenges in developing and im- Prepare country reports responding to the plementing Holocaust and human rights educa- following questions on the state of Holocaust and tion programs in selected countries (2 panels) genocide education in their countries: Developing Holocaust, genocide, and human How widespread is Holocaust education within rights education in post-conflict societies your country? Is it part of the national, Challenges in implementing Holocaust education: regional, or institutional curriculum or Case study Turkey something that individual teachers can choose to teach? The program also included four working groups, each How is the Holocaust taught within your meeting three times; an informal evening discussion country and/or institution? What covering UNESCO’s work on Holocaust Education, frameworks are used? Is it linked to a a case study on Morocco; and a site visit to the Ober- human rights or broader genocide salzberg with a tour of the Documentation Center curriculum? If so, please explain how. near Berchtesgaden. What are the specific challenges of teaching about the Holocaust and/or Human The final session, designed and led by Dan Napolitano Rights in your country? from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, If you teach about other genocides in your provided a summary of key issues discussed. country or institution, do you link it to the Holocaust? These country reports were used in framing the discussions during the symposium itself.
PREPARATION AND FORMAT SUMMARY FINDINGS 4 5
SUMMARY FINDINGS: Educating young people on the history of the Holocaust and other genocides was considered By bringing together experts and practitioners from an important measure for countering Holocaust around the world to present, share, and discuss their and genocide denial, distortion and/or experiences, the symposium generated a largely minimization. unprecedented overview of how the Holocaust and genocide are taught outside Europe and North Holocaust education should nurture a America and thus is a key contribution to current teaching style that encourages critical thinking and research on Holocaust and genocide education. This is investigative spirit among teachers and students. vital to raising awareness of both the possibilities and the pitfalls that different approaches may involve. It Regional networks can make an important also forms a useful tool for educational practitioners. contribution by enabling scholars and teachers to Key recommendations and findings from the assist one another. It was strongly recommended symposium include the following: that an African and potentially Latin American Network of the Salzburg Initiative be established. Recommendations from participants from non-ITF countries: Key Findings: The focus of many discussions was less on Holocaust education can provide a the question if, but rather how and for what framework in societies that had no first- purpose one should teach the Holocaust and hand experience of the Holocaust (e.g., other genocides. Participants recommended Rwanda, Cambodia, South Africa) for the following: understanding the origins and evolution of teacher training programs need to be genocides, and for dealing with other critically assessed; and teachers, histories of human rights abuses. especially in societies afflicted with Participants emphasized the importance of major human rights violations, need to focusing on the specificity of each genocide be given adequate historical training in when using the Holocaust as a framework. order to teach such complex subject matter; The ITF can learn new approaches from teachers in societies afflicted with organizations and programs on Holocaust major human rights violations need to and genocide education taking place in be given additional training in how to countries outside the ITF, e.g, South Africa, deal with their own traumatic Ecuador, Ukraine, Macedonia. Conversely, experiences. Holocaust education programs in ITF countries can offer frameworks for The Holocaust was seen as a useful Holocaust and genocide education in other framework for helping students to regions of the world. Within this dialogue, understand the history of other genocides. consideration needs to be given to the However, the participants recommended particular historical, social, cultural and that: political dynamics in each region or country. comparisons be considered productive only when and if proper historical and Important work on Holocaust and genocide cultural contexts are provided; education is being developed in non-ITF efforts be taken not to confuse countries by local NGOs, publicly-sponsored comparison with equation or to organizations and schools, and national minimize differences; curricula. Within the ITF, however, little is care be given that this framework does known about this innovative work, e.g. not cover, or deflect attention from, Macedonia, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, or specific features of other genocides. South Africa.
RESULTS INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 6 7
Models of Holocaust education developed RESULTS: within the ITF framework are increasingly Participants’ contributions to the global in- accessed globally. However the ITF has little depth analytical study, Learning From the or no knowledge of how such models are Past: Global Perspectives on Holocaust adapted and used outside of ITF countries. Education and to the accompanying survey The ITF could benefit from a better of Holocaust Education-Related Issues in documentation of and communication with Non-ITF Countries, presenting a brief these initiatives. overview of the subject by country, to be published in 2013; Emerging networks in non-western countries, where educators are often Participants’ analysis and contributions to working with limited resources and little or the ITF paper: “Holocaust, genocide and no government support, e.g. Chile, China, crimes against humanity: Suggestions for Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, South Korea, can classroom teachers” to be presented at the be strengthened through cross-border and ITF December 2012 meeting in Liège, global networking, access to resources, and Belgium; technical assistance. There is a strong need for cooperation among organizations The creation of a new network of Holocaust addressing Holocaust and genocide and genocide educators, scholars, museum education, especially in Africa, Latin America directors, heads of memorial sites and and Asia, where programs, resource documentation centers in Africa with plans materials or government support are to expand the network. limited. ***** Among educators and other stakeholders in Holocaust and genocide education programs The summary that follows presents main discussion there is a growing interest in creating a points from the panel discussions, the evening presen- dynamic and active global network to share tation, working group meetings and final session, fol- best practices. lowed by a list of the participants. Separate appendices contain (A) reports on working group meetings, (B) detailed summary notes on the concluding session, (C) biographies of participants, and (D) the agenda; these may be accessed via the Salzburg Global Seminar’s website, at http://www.salzburgglobal.org/current/sessions- b.cfm?IDSpecial_Event=3256 .
Left to right: Edward Kissi (Ghana/USA), Richard Freedman, (South Africa), Aloys Mahwa (Rwanda), Abdellah Benhssi (Morocco) RESULTS INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 6 7
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Klaus Mueller (Conference Chair): ‟Nurturing a truly Clare Shine, Chief Program Officer of the Salzburg global conversation on the Holocaust in the 21st Global Seminar (SGS) since January 2012, and her century.” predecessor Edward Mortimer, now Senior Program Advisor to the SGS, each welcomed the participants Dr. Klaus Mueller, Representative for Europe at the and thanked the United States Holocaust Memorial United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, gave an Museum, as well as the Austrian institutions and the opening address outlining the objectives of the 2012 ITF, for their support and cooperation. Ms. Shine symposium. He stressed the importance of stressed the symposium’s importance to the mission differentiating between the Holocaust and other and vision of the Salzburg Global Seminar, adding that genocides, the question of education as prevention, in the light of the recent rise of xenophobia and issues of Holocaust denial, and above all, the intolerance in Europe, there is an ever greater need importance of creating a global network of educators to teach the lessons of the Holocaust in an effort to on Holocaust and genocide education. highlight the catastrophic risks involved if such phenomena are not firmly and effectively resisted. Background and objectives Dr. Mueller noted that at the 2010 symposium, 50 international experts addressed such topics as the Edward Mortimer sketched the history of the roots of genocide; the connections between justice initiative, tracing its origin to the 2001 agreement and genocide prevention; the relation between between Austria and the United States dealing with trauma and reconciliation; the complex relationship compensation and restitution for victims of Nazi between teaching about the Holocaust and learning persecution (which included an undertaking that from the Holocaust; the compatibility of Holocaust Austria would contribute to an annual program on and human rights education; and rising Holocaust Holocaust education at the Salzburg Seminar). Mr. denial and distortion. Mortimer noted that he joined the SGS in 2007 after
having served as Kofi Annan’s Director of Effecting change: Communication. During his tenure at the UN, the The 2010 conference had developed key 2005 UN Resolution declaring January 27 as recommendations on both education and prevention Holocaust Remembrance Day had been voted on, and addressed the question of how change can really urging member states to implement Holocaust be effected. In dealing with this question, the education in their countries. Mr. Mortimer also noted organizers had looked closely at other initiatives, the debates at the UN on the prevention of genocide especially the work of the ITF. Dr. Mueller stressed following the failures in Rwanda and Srebrenica, and the following points: the development of the concept of Responsibility to
Protect. For these reasons, he felt strongly that the SGS needed to develop a program which would relate The importance of differentiating between the Holocaust education to genocide prevention. Holocaust and other genocides and instances
Edward Mortimer, Klaus Mueller (Germany), Clare Shine
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ROUNDTABLE:GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION 8 9
of ethnic conflict; i.e., the Holocaust was aimed questions for the conference: at exterminating an entire group of people, irrespective of borders; How can one teach the Holocaust in countries The fact that the sufferings of individuals, in which were not directly affected by it? whatever genocidal context, are horrific and Do the lessons of this largely European-based cannot be measured against each other but event help to understand contemporary that mechanisms and tools used by genocide or mass violence elsewhere? perpetrators can be analyzed; Vice versa, what can societies learn from such The question of whether, and if so, how, the events for a better understanding of the international system can move from a culture Holocaust? of reaction to a culture of prevention. On this Do we learn from history? point Dr. Mueller cited And if so, What and How? the Universal Does one improve the Declaration of Human understanding of past genocides Rights and the Genocide If Hannah Arendt was right that the and contemporary human rights Convention, both Holocaust was a crime against violations by connecting them, or adopted in 1948, linking humanity, [then] we need to nurture a does that endanger the the Holocaust, history recognition of the vast differences truly global conversation on the and human rights. He between the two? noted that despite the Holocaust in the 21st century.” vow of “Never again” Klaus Mueller Holocaust denial societies have failed to Dr. Mueller stressed that match either declaration Holocaust denial is growing and with decisive action, more easily distributed through with the result that social media. As one example, he many more millions of lives had been lost in noted that since 2005 Iran has not just run Holocaust mass killings; denial conferences, but distributed hundreds of Mass atrocities continue to occur despite books throughout much of the Arab world and critical steps in establishing the rule of law at funded websites and TV soap operas. He noted that the international level (International Criminal the goal of such action is to destabilize the existence Court, UN ad hoc tribunals), formal acceptance of Israel and to question the centrality of the of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) norm by a Holocaust in Western memory, and that Holocaust unanimous vote at the 2005 World Summit, denial worldwide often uses stereotypes developed in and the creation of government agencies or traditional European antisemitism. Advancing structures to assess early warnings of genocide education on the Holocaust on a global level is and coordinate national responses. therefore important in order to counter rising Holocaust denial. Education The speaker continued by addressing the topic of Global network “education as prevention”. He noted that within the Dr. Mueller emphasized the importance of ITF, guidelines have been developed on how to establishing a global forum in which educators, policy strengthen Holocaust education. However, its 31 makers and activists can explore what they share, member states by no means form a unified body but develop a common vocabulary, and discuss best remain nation states reflecting upon the Holocaust practices. The 2012 Salzburg symposium contributes within their national histories. What is missing, the to creating that forum. He concluded by saying: “If speaker emphasized, is up-to-date knowledge of how Hannah Arendt was right that the Holocaust was a the Holocaust is referenced and/or used in education crime against humanity, we need to nurture a truly outside ITF member countries and outside these global conversation on the Holocaust in the 21st strongly Western based perspectives. In regard to century.” education, he stressed and posed the central
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ROUNDTABLE:GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION 8 9
Dr. Dwork’s view, the aim of education about the ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON THE Holocaust and other genocides depends upon many CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF factors, including the age of the learners. For school- age children, the aim may well be to develop good LEARNING FROM THE PAST: GLOBAL citizenship values and practices, specifically to foster PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST the notion of minority rights protection and to EDUCATION promote tolerance. At the University level, however, Chair: Edward Mortimer (UK) the goals are different. “The undergraduate and doctoral education we offer does not aim to shape Speakers: Deborah Dwork (USA), Richard Freedman students’ behaviors,” she elaborated. “It seeks to (South Africa), Yariv Lapid (Austria/Israel), Klaus explore and lay bare underlying social processes and Mueller (Germany) political, bureaucratic and economic structures. By drilling down on events at specific times and places, Edward Mortimer opened the meeting by introducing the foundational skeleton of genocide (enactment, the panelists and stating that he would pose a responses, resistance), the structural mechanisms, number of questions to the panel in order to address emerge. And this knowledge will help us identify the topic of conceptual development of learning from systems and processes that will spur change. We may the past. not be able to alter how human beings wish to act, but we may well be able to alter the conditions that Mr.Mortimer began by asking Deborah Dwork, prompt those wishes or allow them to be actualized.” Director of the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University in the United When asked to reflect on the 2010 meeting, Dr. States, to reflect on the key issues that came from Dwork commented that one of the main questions the initial Salzburg meetings and to discuss the discussed—“Does teaching about the Holocaust lead current state of Holocaust education. Dr. Dwork to genocide prevention?”-- is certainly open to replied that in regard to the current state of debate. However, she believes that “while the past is Holocaust education, the Strassler Center is the only not a blueprint for the present, the history of the institution in the world that offers a doctoral program Holocaust can serve as a compass to help us specific to Holocaust Education and Genocide understand the world in which we live and to help us Studies. She identified several pressing questions that chart the way forward to the world to which we wish call for rigorous research, including the following: to give shape.” 1) Best Practices: While there is much scholarship on best pedagogical practices in such disciplines as Mr. Mortimer asked Yariv Lapid, who has been part reading and math, there is little on how best to teach of the Salzburg initiative since 2010, whether his the Holocaust and genocide studies. experience at the Salzburg Global Seminar helps in 2) What is the primary purpose of Holocaust and any aspect of his work to improve the pedagogy at genocide education: citizenship education, civics, the Mauthausen Memorial in Austria. Mr. Lapid ethics education, or historical content education? In replied that by convening a mixture of people from
Left to right: Yariv Lapid (Austria/Israel), Richard Freedman (South Africa), Edward Mortimer (UK), Klaus Mueller (Germany), Deborah Dwork (USA) ROUNDTABLE: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION 10
different countries and disciplines, it creates a very inhabitants, not told their children about what they dynamic exchange of perspectives allowing us to saw in the aftermath? acknowledge our limited understanding of the subject matter, and at the same time enables an incredibly In evaluating the work of sites, success is often creative learning process. presented through numbers, e.g. how many school children have visited, and not by the quality of the The speaker posed the question: if the population of a education to which they were exposed during their country scores well in international evaluations on visit. Guides are mostly expected to accumulate the Holocaust--questions usually directed towards historical knowledge, but the educational experts can assessing knowledge, e.g. how many people died, or offer them very little support on how to be good when did the war start-- does that mean they are less educators when it comes to portraying genocide, prone to infringements of human rights? He argued torture and mass murder. He stated that there are no there is little known about the relationship between acknowledged standards prescribing the educational society’s commitment to “Never Again!” and people’s demands of a memorial site, e.g. in training guides or knowledge of facts on Nazi atrocities. He warned developing curricula. Mr. Lapid said that the about the fear of banalizing the Holocaust and the questions with which educators are faced demand dangers of comparison with other historical events. insights that go far beyond historical knowledge, and “Comparison is inevitable for the process of stressed the need to conduct more research and understanding and thus cannot be avoided. What can experiment on Holocaust education, including be avoided is equating, e.g. the claim that what the perspectives from the social sciences, such as Americans did to Indians is exactly the same as what psychology and anthropology. the Nazis did to the Jews. We should thus differentiate between comparison, which is good and Turning to Richard Freedman, the director of the inevitable, and equating, which is misleading and South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation avoidable.” and the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, Mr. Mortimer asked what he had taken away from the 2011 Answering questions from other participants, Mr. planning meeting and how he saw the importance of Lapid explained that the pedagogical concept he and this initiative. his team developed focuses on society as a whole, i.e. as the space from which both victims and Mr. Freedman commented that in the first day of perpetrators were recruited. In Mauthausen that meeting the focus was on best practices, in the discrimination and murder are thus understood as a form of a scholarly approach and it “did not seem to societal project, consciously enabled and supported be dealing with reality on the ground”. His sense was by the civilian environment. that he could make a contribution to the dialogue by speaking about the experience in South Africa where In Mauthausen, using selected texts and pictures, the Holocaust education is mandated—the only country guide offers the group a glimpse into the reality of the in Africa to do so—as part of the national curriculum, concentration camp. The text in question was written incorporating teacher training. ‟We were in a clear by an inmate, describing the indifference of civilians context which made it easier to use Holocaust watching him and the other inmates being marched education in dealing with our own racial state past. from the town's train station through its center to the There was another history 'bouncing around us', and camp. This way, visitors are not being introduced to until we could acknowledge that history we had no the whole story of National Socialism, but rather to a place to introduce Holocaust education. Once we had specific but common situation. This offers a human understood that we could use Holocaust education to voice with its subjective and experiential perspective engage in our own history, then we would be making on historical events, and opens up the dilemma of headway (allowing students) to analyze where they Mauthausen: how and why did society initiate and were coming from.” Mr. Freedman pointed out that participate in the murder of fellow human beings in South Africans (who themselves or their parents its midst? How did people become blind to injustice experienced living in a racial state, with the and the suffering of others? Why have most civilians, concomitant gross abuse of human rights), when witnesses to the horror, such as the town's given the opportunity to learn about this “other
ROUNDTABLE: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION 10 11
committed to the Declaration of the Stockholm history”, find it enormously instructive in reflecting on International Forum on the Holocaust, and must their own experiences. At the Salzburg meeting he accept the principles adopted by the Task Force felt there was a commitment to engage with societies regarding membership: (1) implement national such as South Africa to try and see if there was a way policies and programs in support of Holocaust to use Holocaust education as a way of understanding education, (2) develop memorial days and make their own context. ‟In the room there are people memorial sites available to the public, (3) develop from all over who can speak to the difficulties they curricula in Holocaust education, (4) encourage all have in their own context and where Holocaust archives, both public and private, to make their education may be able to play a role.” holdings on the Holocaust more widely accessible. Dr. Mr. Mortimer asked what Mr. Freedman expected to Mueller explained that the Vatican, for example, has take back from the current meeting. Mr. Freedman not made its records after 1939 available for research answered that he looked forward to a commitment to despite international requests, and thus currently advancing Holocaust education in different contexts cannot become a member. He stressed that the ITF with the understanding that this be done with the should not be regarded as a unified body, as each awareness of the member country continues to struggle with its own particular specific problems. Each challenges facing country has its own those societies. curricula, teaching The introduction styles, culture of of the study of transparency. He the Holocaust pointed to a recent into a school discussion at the ITF on curriculum rising antisemitism in would need to Hungary: “We are in a be a grass-roots continuous learning process and not process of failures and an imposition of corrections”. In his the approach to view, the ITF is an H o l o c a u s t i m p o r t a n t education as is international body that p e r h a p s keeps attention focused on Holocaust espoused by the Ho-Keun Choi (Korea) and Muhsine Önal (Turkey) ITF based on the education and fighting European or North American experience. issues of Holocaust distortion. There is an ITF Education Working Group Subcommittee on The Mr. Freedman applauded the initiative of the ITF in Holocaust and Other Genocides, composed of people engaging with countries outside the ITF membership. from different national delegations who are involved An engagement with countries outside the ITF was in studying whether we can develop a vocabulary, necessary at all levels, but it should especially with common definitions, for describing the consider the reality of the classroom situation. The Holocaust and other genocides and distinguishing speaker welcomed this symposium as a “move between them. Even though the ITF focuses beyond the table” to reach out to teachers and exclusively on the Holocaust, issues relating to other academics who worked in contexts which had very genocides have been discussed in recent years. This different demands and who are dealing with very Subcommittee produced a paper, “Holocaust, specific challenges. Genocide, and Crimes against Humanity: Suggestions for Classroom Teachers” and would welcome Klaus Mueller was asked to present the news from feedback on this from participants working outside the recent June meeting of the ITF in Belgium. He the ITF framework. Dr. Mueller added that he would briefly recalled the history of the ITF and reminded report on the results of this symposium at the next the group that all countries wishing to join it must be ITF meeting in December.
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I 12 13
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS, PART I Chair: Deborah Dwork (USA)
Speakers: Tracey Petersen (South Africa), Juan Diego Reyes (Ecuador), Glenn Timmermans (UK), Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos (Greece)
The first panel examined Successes and Chal- lenges in Developing and Implementing Holo- caust and Human Rights Education programs mainly as well as Namibia, Shikaya’s Holocaust education in three countries in distinct regions of the world: programs are so far conducted only in the Western South Africa, Ecuador and China (including Hong Kong Cape. SAHGF has reached 250, 000 people through its and Macao). None of the three was directly affected public education programs, including over 80,000 by the Holocaust, yet in the case of South Africa and high school students. Ecuador, Holocaust education is part of the national curriculum. There is no formal policy on Holocaust Ms. Petersen explained that Holocaust education is education in Greater China*. The fourth member of framed by the South African Education Department. the panel, Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, presented on the Although the Grade 9 and 11 curricula cite both the work of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency in regard Holocaust and apartheid as case studies of human to Holocaust and human rights education. rights violations, the national curriculum does not make any other explicit connections between the In the case of South Africa, Tracey Petersen, the Edu- two. She noted that challenges in teaching Holocaust cation Director of the Cape Town Holocaust Center, history in a society with a traumatic past have not noted that Holocaust history has been compulsory in been dealt with by the Department, nor does the na- the Grade 9 national curriculum since 2007. The mod- tional curriculum frame the Holocaust as an example ule on the Holocaust is second only to the history of of genocide. However, both SAHGF and Shikaya ap- apartheid in terms of the time prescribed for teaching proach the history of the Holocaust by first acknowl- it. Holocaust history also forms a significant part of edging the teacher’s identity and context before look- the Grade 11 history curriculum. She noted that there ing at the history of the Holocaust. Both curricula con- are two NGOs in South Africa actively promoting sider the connections and disconnections of Holo- Holocaust education: the South African Holocaust and caust history to apartheid history, and the impact Genocide Foundation (SAHGF) and Shikaya**. Both teaching about each might have on the teacher. Both work with teachers and tertiary students, but they locate the Holocaust as an example of genocide, and differ in reach and focus. All the programs of the while stressing the specificity of the Holocaust, also SAHGF have the Holocaust as their focus, whereas consider its possible connections and disconnections only a quarter of Shikaya’s programs include Holo- to apartheid and the genocide in Rwanda. caust education; while SAHGF has facilitated work- shops in seven of the nine provinces of South Africa
*Glenn Timmermans refers to “Greater China” as the 3 territories of the People’s Republic of China—Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. Taiwan was not included in the discussion.
**Shikaya is a non-profit civil society organisation that recognises the crucial role that teachers can play to deepen and strengthen South Africa’s democracy. As such, Shikaya supports teachers’ personal and professional development to create a South Africa where young people are inspired and supported to become responsible democratic citizens, valuing diversity, human rights and peace.
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I 12 13
Ms. Petersen noted the following challenges: because the former Ecuadorian Education Minister Learning from the Holocaust: Learning about Mr. Raul Vallejo, the former director of the Jewish the Holocaust does not automatically challenge school in Quito, supported the move. In order to prejudicial attitudes and behavior. Learners teach the Holocaust effectively, the ‟Alberto Einstein need time to reflect and find for themselves School”, working with the Ministry of Education, de- the meaning in the history they study. veloped a didactic unit, which takes into account the UN resolution urging member states to include the De-contextualising the teacher: The history of teaching of the Holocaust in all their educational sys- the Holocaust cannot be taught without appre- tems. Other countries in Latin America, notably Costa ciating the context of the teacher teaching the history. In South Africa, this means working Rica and Panama, are currently considering including with teachers who have not necessarily been the unit in their curricula. The Ministry has trained taught how to teach history. Secondly, the vast 3,000 Ecuadorian teachers in the use of the unit and majority of teachers in South Africa have lived has also sent some to Yad Vashem, Israel, for train- through, and taught within, the apartheid sys- ing, with support from the National Education Au- thority and “Alberto Einstein” School. tem. Teacher education needs to provide a
space outside the classroom, in which teachers Ecuador has 14 nationalities within a territory of ca. can work through their history, so that they 245, 000 km2, all of them with their own languages will be able to facilitate learning about the and distinct cultural features. Therefore teaching the Holocaust (and apartheid) in a safe way. Holocaust becomes a powerful opportunity to warn Universalizing and specificity – over- students and teachers about the risks involved in dis- identification or de-legitimising one’s own his- respecting or misunderstanding diversity of origin, tory: Holocaust education in South Africa has religion, culture and social position. to negotiate the journey travelled by adult As to challenges, learners, from a recognition of the commonal- ities between their own experience of apart- There is a difficulty in teachers’ training and heid and aspects of the Holocaust, to under- the barriers are set by a widely dispersed stu- standing the specifics of Holocaust history, dent population. Although many schools now without delegitimizing their own history. have Internet access, rural schools are difficult to reach with teaching materials, training and Decontextualising the student: Holocaust edu- sources of research. cation in South Africa has to take into consid- eration the experience of children growing up Recent political change may threaten some of with parents who experienced apartheid. what has been achieved. There have been changes in the curriculum, and the Ministry
now focuses more intensely on implementing In Ecuador, Juan Diego Reyes, who works for the Ministry of Education, was part of a team that the national curriculum throughout Ecuador. changed the national curriculum in 2008 to include As a result, there has been reduced emphasis Holocaust education. This achievement was possible
Tracey Petersen (South Africa), Glenn Timmermans (China/UK), and Juan Diego Reyes (Ecuador)
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I 14 15
on topics that are not in the core of the many mainland universities and the Holocaust is in- curriculum. creasingly taught as a part of a larger subject area. There is an urgent need to bring the Holocaust There are no courses in Jewish Studies or Holocaust closer to the students. Students should be able in Hong Kong, but the University of Macau offers an to connect the horror of the Holocaust to what MA course on Holocaust literature and recently intro- has happened recently in Africa, the Balkans duced a general education course entitled “The Holo- and other places, and see it as a permanent caust, Genocide and Human Rights”. Prof. threat to peace in their own lives. Timmermans stressed the fact that the issue of human rights is especially complicated in Greater Mr. Reyes argued that Holo- China and the teaching caust education should be- of the Holocaust has come a source of critical to tread a careful path. thinking and investigative Knowledge about the spirit among teachers and Holocaust is often con- students, and that the teach- veyed by films such as ing of the Holocaust should Schindler‘s List and be linked to other genocides. books such as the Di- Over the last three years, ary of Anne Frank the Ministry of Education, translated into Chi- the Alberto Einstein School nese. He noted that and the Jewish Community knowledge of Jewish have organized essay con- history or Judaism is tests on the topic limited. Common “Holocaust, Recent Geno- Western stereotypes Michael Haider (Austria) and Juan Diego Reyes (Ecuador) cides and Human Rights” of Jews all being with the aim of promoting students’ research abilities wealthy and ‟clever” have been appropriated also in as well as their capacity to propose alternative ways China, though interpreted differently and often ad- to eradicate violence and promote peace and mutual miringly to the point where many Chinese believe respect in a diverse world. that Jews probably control the world economy.
Glenn Timmermans, Professor of History and Prof. Timmermans feels that in China the Holocaust is Literature at the English Department of the University most effectively taught under the larger rubric of of Macau, presented the challenges to Holocaust genocide, focusing specifically on Japanese aggres- teaching in China. He noted that an estimated 1.3 sion and atrocities in China, especially the Nanjing billion people live in Mainland China, 6.5 million live Massacre and Unit 731 in Manchuria. He warned in Hong Kong and 500,000 in Macao. Both Hong Kong that this can lead to the danger of making simplistic and Macao are Special Administrative Regions (SAR), comparisons or parallels between genocides. A num- with China overseeing matters of defence and foreign ber of organizations are now actively developing policy, which means both Macao and Hong Kong Holocaust education in greater China including Yad have considerable autonomy in terms of education and economic policies. In Greater China there is no formal policy of Holocaust education. In some high schools on the Mainland it is taught in passing as part of the history of the Second World War but the war is taught with an emphasis on Japan’s invasion of China. In Hong Kong and Macao, the Holocaust is not for- mally included in the school curriculum – it is up to the teachers to address it as part of Second World War history. At a tertiary level there are no specific courses on the Holocaust in any of the three regions, although there is growing interest in Jewish Studies in Rapporteur Florian Beierl SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART I 14 15
Vashem, London Jewish Cultural Centre, Facing His- various actors involved: ‟Who was responsible for tory and Ourselves, SIGNAL and the Israel-Asia Cen- this? Only the SS guards? What about the clerks that tre. He noted that a Holocaust and Tolerance Centre noted the names of those who were transported to was very recently established in Hong Kong from the death camps, those that issued transportation within the HK Jewish community. Genocides were not orders?” He warned that an alarming issue today is included in the Centre’s profile and the addition of the rise of the extreme right coupled with a concep- “tolerance” was a compromise. He noted that al- tion of human rights as a “luxury” which can be ill- though many Jewish and Holocaust organizations afforded at a time of economic crisis. At the same want to be active in China, there is no strategy for time Mr. Dimitrakopoulos stressed that what is dif- ensuring that these groups can work together rather ferent today from the mid-30s is that we now have a than compete against each other. strong human rights architecture at least within the EU, such as Human Rights Institutions, Equality Bod- The panel was joined by ies, Data Protection Authorities, etc. This human guest speaker Ioannis rights architecture must be supported to ensure that Dimitrakopoulos, Head of it will continue to provide us with the safeguards the Department of that did not exist in the past. Equality and Citizens' Rights of the European Nevertheless, Mr. Dimitrakopoulos cautioned that Union Agency for Funda- this is not enough; human rights education and train- mental Rights (FRA), who ing also has a crucial role to play in ensuring that citi- presented the Agency and zens and, in particular, public officials are sufficiently its relevant work on anti- trained, informed and sensitised in regard to the pro- semitism and Holocaust tection of human rights to prevent a Holocaust from education. He emphasized occurring ever again. Mr. Dimitrakopoulos added that Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos that teaching the memory the Agency also has collected since 2004, annual data of the Shoah should be embedded within a broader on antisemitism and published a report every year. In context of human rights education in order to better 2012 the FRA launched a unique online survey among understand the significance of this unique crime Jewish people on antisemitism. The survey asks self- against humanity and its implications for us today. identified Jewish respondents in nine EU countries – The Agency’s research on the use of memorial sites Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Ro- and museums in the context of Holocaust education mania, Sweden and the United Kingdom – about their served as the basis for a multi-annual project on experiences and perceptions of discrimination, Holocaust education together with Yad Vashem. harassment, bias-motivated crime, as well as expo- The findings of itsresearch confirm that a great deal sure to antisemitic acts against the Jewish commu- needs to be done to make education about the nity, such as vandalism of Jewish sites or antisemitic Shoah more relevant to the ethnically and religiously messages in the broadcast media or in the internet. diverse student body of European societies, and therefore more effective.
“Some countries have a strong historic link with the Holocaust, hence it is treated carefully as a school subject, which, however, – some suggest – means that many students, particularly those with an immigrant background may not readily understand.” He argued that we need to look back into the past in order to better understand how the Shoah became possible, focusing on the political and administrative structures, as well as on the behaviour of the Left to right: Elizabeth Mortimer (UK), Goran Sadikarijo (Macedonia), Sayana Ser (Cambodia), Edward Kissi (Ghana/USA)
HOLOCAUST, GENOCIDE EDUCATION IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES HOLOCAUST, GENOCIDE EDUCATION IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES 16 17
DEVELOPING HOLOCAUST, GENOCIDE AND Khmer Rouge was formally added to the curriculum HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN POST-CONFLICT for all higher education institutions, and the SOCIETIES textbook, “A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975 Chair: Marie-Louise Ryback (Germany/Netherlands) -1979)” was adopted for secondary school students in 2010. DC-CAM has lobbied for the introduction of KR Speakers: Sayana Ser (Cambodia), Francois Masabo history as a mandatory subject in secondary schools (Rwanda), Harutyun Marutyan (Armenia) and universities; the Center has also prompted the introduction of a new teaching methodology in Marie-Louise Ryback opened the panel and Cambodia that is focused on a student-centered described her involvement with the Institute of approach, encouraging critical thinking and debate. Historical Justice and Reconciliation (IHJR) which had been born as a project at the Salzburg Seminar in Turning to Rwanda, Francois Masabo, senior 2004. The NGO deals with post-conflict researcher and an associate professor at the Center societies and trauma by bringing for Conflict Management together scholars, educators and civil (CCM) at the National society leaders. She resumed the University of Rwanda, gave discussions by posing the question: Can Holocaust education is useful in a brief history of his country Holocaust education be used effectively the aftermath of the Rwandan and the Rwanda genocide. He noted that three social in teaching about genocides and human Tutsi genocide as it helps rights abuses in countries that were not categories exist in Rwanda touched by the Holocaust? Panelists people understand by which – Hutu, Tutsi, Twa – sharing from Cambodia, Rwanda and Armenia means the genocide succeeded the same geographic areas, each presented their views on the link and how it differs from other beliefs and institutions and between Holocaust and genocide that they do not correspond mass killings. education. to race, caste, or social Francois Masabo, class. Prof. Masabo The first speaker, Sayana Ser from University of Rwanda explained that Rwanda Cambodia, leads the outreach project of genocide education is DC-Cam, the Documentation Center of specifically linked to the Cambodia that focuses on the Khmer genocide against the Tutsi. Rouge regime, and manages a radio program entitled After the Tutsi genocide there were three options: a) ‟Voices of Genocide Survivors”. She recounted revenge, b) separation into ‟Hutuland”and several phases of conflict in the troubled history of ‟Tutsiland”, or c) rebuilding the unity of the nation Cambodia and noted that it was not until 1998 that through transitional justice and the process of Cambodia achieved a more stable condition. The reconciliation. The last was finally chosen and Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) officially went into education is essential to achieve this. operation in 2006. Ms. Ser observed that, three decades after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge (KR), Prof. Masabo argued that Holocaust education is Cambodia is still struggling to incorporate genocide useful in the aftermath of the Rwandan Tutsi education into its curriculum. Teaching KR history in genocide as it helps people understand by which classrooms remains a controversial issue in means the genocide succeeded and how it differs Cambodia. School books omit crucial events. A from other mass killings. The objective in Rwanda is section on Cambodian modern history, including the to increase public awareness and for academics and account of the KR era, was removed entirely from the politicians to collaborate on this. The Center for 12th grade textbook and in 2002 the prime minister Conflict Management was established at the National ordered the withdrawal of all 12th grade social University of Rwanda in 1999 with the aim of studies textbooks. Still, Ms. Ser reported that teaching and conducting research on genocide and considerable progress in genocide education is other conflicts that undermined Rwandan society. underway, with the government taking positive steps Prof. Masabo outlined the Center’s operations on to consider the matter. In 2009 the history of the three levels: an outreach program for the
HOLOCAUST, GENOCIDE EDUCATION IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES HOLOCAUST, GENOCIDE EDUCATION IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES 16 17
community, short-term teaching modules for leaders Holocaust is a part of Jewish history only and while in the public and private sectors, and two Master’s there is no acknowledgement of the Armenian Programs (“peace and conflict studies”, and Genocide by the State of Israel, the Holocaust cannot ‟genocide studies and prevention”). The genocide be taught as a special course in Armenia. In the module is taught in both programs. Genocide studies standards and programs developed and approved by includes a “comparative study of genocide” where a the Center for Educational Programs of Armenia‘s comparative approach is used to understand the Ministry of Education and Science on high school context of genocides that happened in other parts of subjects - ‘Social Science’, ‘World History’ and the world, starting with the Holocaust. This is ‘History of Armenia’ – there is no mention of the because it offers a fruitful theoretical and conceptual Holocaust, although students study the totalitarian framework. “The Holocaust serves as model of regimes of Italy, Germany and Spain including the genocide that meets all the features of the concept.” essence of Fascism and Nazism. The speaker challenged the notion of the Holocaust as unique and The challenges, Prof. Masabo argues, are: the denial incomparable and cited an 1895 New York Times of genocide, the spreading of genocide ideology, and article titled “Another Armenian Holocaust” about the management of emotions in a society where the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in perpetrators and survivors and their relatives live the mid-1890s, as well as other examples of authors side by side. School books have not been completed, writing about a “Holocaust” in Armenia between because there are still too many emotions about the 1895 and 1913 including a 1928 quotation by Rwandan Tutsi genocide. The Center for Conflict Winston Churchill who described the “massacre of Management is about to publish a history of countless thousands of defenseless Armenians” Rwanda. Prof. Masabo stressed that there is good will during World War I as an “administrative Holocaust”. on the side of the government to rebuild the values of the country. The challenges of teaching the Holocaust and human rights in Armenia are linked directly to the fact that In regard to Armenia, Harutyun Marutyan, a leading Armenians suffered a genocide from 1915 to 1923 researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and during the Ottoman Empire. Under Soviet rule after Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of 1920, discussion of the genocide faded until the Armenia, and visiting professor at Yerevan State 1960s. The Armenian genocide is incorporated in University, explained that Holocaust education is not history textbooks as part of national history. Dr part of the official curriculum in the Armenian school Marutyan finds the incorporation of the Holocaust as system, thus taught at the discretion of the teacher, a separate unit in the school curricula of Armenia to and that reference to the Holocaust in Armenian be less probable, if a more or less matching school textbooks is predominantly indirect. If incorporation of information on the Armenian mentioned at all, it is linked to either human rights or Genocide will not take place in European school World War II. He stressed that for different sectors of curricula, especially in consideration of the 2015 Armenian society there is a notion that the Jewish centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
Sayana Ser (Cambodia), Francois Masabo (Rwanda) and Harutyun Marutyan (Armenia)
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART II SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART II 18 19
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING exhibit, students present contemporary ethical dilemmas so that visitors may connect the lessons AND IMPLEMENTING HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN learned from the Holocaust with their own lives. In RIGHTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS PART II regard to challenges facing education on human Chair: Edward Kissi (Ghana/USA) rights, she noted general difficulties where teachers
continue to transmit information rather than actively Speakers: Yael Siman (Mexico), Ho-Keun Choi engage their students in constructing knowledge; (Korea), Anatoly Podolsky (Ukraine), Igor Shchupak teachers lack appropriate training and work in (Ukraine) educational settings that are highly segregated.
Edward Kissi introduced the second panel focusing on From Korea, Ho-Keun Choi is research professor at Mexico, Korea and Ukraine. the Institute for the Study of History at Korea University in Seoul. Prof. Choi stated that civil society Beginning with Mexico, Yael Siman, founder and and human rights organizations have a great interest director of “Nenemi Paxia”, a civic organization that in introducing information about the Holocaust and is devoted to deepening the work of “Facing History about European and American education programs and Ourselves”, emphasized the importance of civic into Korea. He explained that although there is no education in Mexico, particularly as it is currently a systematic teaching of the Holocaust in Korea--social fragile democracy. She noted that different scholars studies and world history classes in elementary, have underscored the relevant role of civic education junior high, and senior high schools deal only briefly in Mexico, especially in light of the bipolarity with the Holocaust in relation to World War II, and between democratic and authoritative structures. there are no institutions in Korea conducting research or education on the Holocaust--there is considerable While important transformations have been interest in the Holocaust. Around 20 books on the observed at the electoral level, grass-root prejudice Holocaust and 141 research papers on the subject still exists (e.g., against women and Jews), Dr. Siman have been published in Korean. Undergraduate and warned. Furthermore, recent polls show that while graduate programs in some universities in Seoul and Mexicans prefer democracy over any other political larger cities are now offering classes on the subject. regime, the level of civic participation is low, Prof. Choi believes recent interest in the Holocaust is particularly among the young. In regard to Holocaust linked to the suffering of the Korean people in the education, Dr. Siman cited the case of Prepa Ibero, a 20th century and named “three burdensome small Jesuit high school that in 2010 incorporated the memories of the past”: teaching of the Holocaust as part of its humanities Japanese colonial rule 1910-1945 when curriculum based on the Facing History and Ourselves many Korean women were sexually approach. enslaved and men sent to Japan as slave laborers. Dr. Siman helped design the curriculum and teacher training programs. She also assisted in developing a travelling exhibit called “Moments and Decisions” that is based on Facing History’s methodological sequence. In the museum exhibit students are presented with connections between the historical processes that took shape in Europe during the Holocaust and Mexican developments in the 1930s and 1940s. Among the central themes presented are: the fragility of democracy during the Weimar Republic and the birth of Mexico’s weak democratic post-revolutionary regime; and the problem of Holocaust refugees and Mexico’s foreign policy towards them. Furthermore, at the end of the Jon Shelton (USA) and Yael Siman (Mexico)
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART II SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART II 18 19
the Korean War, (1950 -1953) when refugees remind us of Nazi Germany before the Final 200,000 or more unarmed South Korean Solution. The Holocaust shows clearly what kind of civilians fell victim to violence committed tragedy can occur when sovereignty comes before by their own government on false charges universal human rights. of being communists. Military dictatorships (1980s and 1990s) Although the Holocaust did not have a direct impact when those who opposed the regime fell on Mexico or Korea, the Ukraine is an example of a victim to human rights violations. country where the Holocaust had a devastating effect. Two scholars, Anatoly Podolsky, Director of He noted that(1) Korean researchers look to the the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies in Kiev, Holocaust as a framework for understanding human and Igor Shchupak, Director of ‟Tkuma” All-Ukrainian rights abuses, (2) Korean academics also want to Center for Holocaust Studies at the Museum of learn practical strategies for disseminating the Jewish History and Holocaust in Dnepropetrovsk, memories of the burdensome past against the examined the role of Holocaust education in their backdrop of social indifference and political society. resistance widespread in Korea, and (3) reflecting upon the successful experiences of USHMM in Dr. Podolsky explained that in Ukraine until 1991 the Washington, Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, and the Holocaust was a forbidden topic and the word Jewish Museum in Berlin, Korean researchers wish to ‟Jewish” was not used. Before 1939 Ukrainians had a develop strategies for building a living memorial strong connection to Jewish culture: in small cities museum. around Kiev, approximately 50% of the population was Jewish; in the western Ukraine Polish, Jewish and Lessons from Holocaust education in Western Ukrainian people lived in a multi-cultural society, and countries can help civil society organizations in Korea in some towns the population was 75% Jewish. Then promote democracy, human rights, and peace. The from 1939-1945 1.5 million Jews in the Ukraine were speaker argued that special attention needs to be killed, destroying not only the physical existence of focused on those who selflessly helped to save Jews. the people but the culture as well. Until 1991 Jewish Many Koreans made efforts to save their neighbors families, and those in mixed marriages with Russians, during the civilian massacres. The Peace Museum on never discussed the Holocaust in the family. When Jeju Island has an exhibition hall dedicated to the declaring ethnicity on their passports at the age of 16, “righteous neighbors“ and offers annual job training children from mixed marriages were advised not to for teachers to learn about them. declare a Jewish ethnicity. After 1991 the situation Prof. Choi posited that the significance of Holocaust changed. During 1994-1996, during the time of the education increases when North Korea’s human genocide in Rwanda, Steven Spielberg organized the rights situation is taken into consideration. Yoduk SHOAH Foundation and collected 4000 to 5000 Concentration Camp and poor human rights testimonies from Soviet Jews, which are now used for conditions represented by an increasing number of teaching. Thus, there are highly successful efforts to
Left to right: Ho-Keun Choi (Korea), Harutyun Marutyan (Armenia) and Igor Shchupak (Ukraine), Anatoly Podolsky (Ukraine) SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART II CASE STUDY TURKEY 20 21
promote Holocaust education in Ukraine by non- reach Moldova and Belarus. They offer inter-ethnic governmental organizations, with financial support and inter-religious programs, also in cooperation with from abroad. the Polish government and communities. Dr. Shchupak showed slides of the new Jewish Dr. Podolsky explained that Holocaust education has museum and community center in Dnepropetrovsk, been taught at his center for the last ten years. On scheduled to open in October 2012, and stated that it the governmental side however, problems continue. is designed to be the largest museum of Jewish While Holocaust education is officially part of the History and the Holocaust on post-Soviet territory – school curriculum, there is little true understanding one of the largest community centers in the world. or concept for dealing with the memory of the The museum is intended not only to teach and Holocaust, which is very real in the Ukraine. He commemorate the Holocaust, but to show it in the argued that Holocaust remembrance is generally ‟not context of world and as an integral part of Ukrainian forbidden but not supported” and so 99% of the and Jewish history, and provide lessons of efforts in bringing awareness of the Holocaust to the international tolerance. It will also include exhibitions public are funded by NGOs from outside the country on Ukrainian history and Christina culture. It is seen and that on the part of the government, a Soviet as a place for Ukrainian and foreign students to mentality toward the Holocaust persists. National gather, and will feature lectures followed by history views Ukrainians as victims of Stalin’s great discussions. It will address collaboration in Ukraine in famine, and seeks to foster the memory of the a special exhibition, as well as the Ukrainian National Ukrainian National Movement. In this context, Movement and the “Jewish issue” during World acknowledging the role that Ukrainians played as War II. ‟Hilfspolizei” to the Nazis in exterminating the Jews is a challenge. The task of including the Holocaust in the The speaker enumerated the key challenges facing broader national history remains to be done. the teaching of the Holocaust in Ukraine: Overcoming the Soviet legacy in the public Igor Shchupak underscored the fact that Ukraine consciousness, in the minds of the teachers and was the first former Soviet country after the collapse students, in which the Holocaust is perceived as of the Soviet Union to include Holocaust education in ‟Jewish” rather than a universal human the state history curriculum for schools, but the tragedy. country does not yet have suitable studies in history. Improving the quality levels of the textbooks : Non-governmental organizations in Ukraine, such as they contain methodological and content Tkuma, play a major role in promoting Holocaust errors. education through annual conferences, publications, Countering residual Soviet ideology which oral testimonies about the Holocaust, textbooks continues to influence thinking in Ukraine to which included a special unit on the Holocaust, and the point where the Ukrainian National programs on the Holocaust for teachers and students Movement is blamed for willing collaboration in many regions of Ukraine. Tkuma’s programs also with the Nazis in exterminating the Jews.
Cihan Tekeli Kenan Cayir
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES PART II CASE STUDY TURKEY 20 21
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING HOLOCAUST til a few years ago, the existence of Kurds, as an eth- EDUCATION: nic category, was denied and Kurds have been perse- CASE STUDY TURKEY cuted for several decades. For instance the Turkish Chair: Klaus Mueller (Germany) army emptied Kurdish villages in Southeast Turkey affecting two million people. Many Kurds emigrated Speakers: Cihan Tekeli (Netherlands), Kenan Cayir to Mediterranean and then Western provinces. (Turkey), Muhsine Önal (Turkey) Prof. Çayir stated that contact between Kurds and Klaus Mueller opened the roundtable discussion by Turks is increasing but this might exacerbate tensions, emphasizing that Turkey is currently at a specific as there have also been lynching attempts. According stage, as a country with a majority Muslim population to him, Turkey has been undergoing a major transfor- seeking EU-membership. Since 2008 Turkey also has mation in the last two decades and minorities claim- an observer status at the ITF and is seeking to raise its ing equal rights have gained public attention, e.g Ar- status to “liaison country,” one level below full mem- menians and Greeks.The Alevi groups, estimated at bership. As a full ITF member state, Turkey – as any 15-20 million, argue that they are being assimilated. other ITF member country – would need to incorpo- Prof. Çayir pointed out that there is a compulsory re- rate Holocaust education into its national curriculum, ligion course in Turkey which, according to Alevis, at- open its archives and engage in Holocaust remem- tempts to assimilate people. He explained that con- brance. servative groups have gained political momentum since the AK party Since 2010, a Holocaust Remembrance Day came to power in has been observed in Turkey on January 27 2002. In 2009 the with high representation of the Turkish gov- party introduced a ernment. In 2012, Turkish state TV broad- ‟Kurdish Opening” – cast Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah. The Turkish allowing the language delegation leader to the ITF, ambassador to be used in public. Ertan Tezgör, has made announcements, This, in the opinion of that within the coming five years, Holocaust the speaker, will lead education will be incorporated into the to a process with two Turkish school system. Dr. Mueller relayed possibilities: conflict or that Turkey emphasizes a different histori- further democratiza- cal position and quoted ambassador tion. Prof. Çayir Tezgör: “During the Nazi regime, we were warned that the only country in which not even one Jew Muhsine Önal ‟demands of visi- was taken and executed; on the contrary, bility” are consid- Turkey was a safe haven,” said Tezgör. “Thousands ered a threat to the official national memory as mi- were saved.” As a result, he said, “Holocaust educa- norities enjoy increasing recognition and liberal intel- tion in Turkey is not like the Holocaust education in, lectuals push for the recognition of the Armenian let’s say, Holland, Poland, Greece or Germany genocide. Asked by Dr. Mueller if the Armenian geno- *because+ we have no guilt.” cide can be addressed in public, the speaker referred to certain joint efforts of both countries which pro- Kenan Çayir, associate professor of sociology and the mote dialogue, but the Armenian genocide cannot director of the Sociology and Educational Studies Divi- easily be addressed in public. Nevertheless, it is dis- sion at Istanbul Bilgi University, is currently working cussed in universities, academic works deal with the with teachers on developing modules for classrooms subject, and there are collaborative projects with and texts on handling sensitive issues such as dis- NGOs in Turkey and Armenia. Prof. Çayir warned crimination and massacres in Turkish history. Prof. though that while the 2015 centennial is approaching, Çayir explained that many problems still persist in nationalist groups backed by the government are be- regard to the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. (He estimates ing reorganized and therein lies the danger of a na- that ca. 10-15 million Kurds live in Turkey today.) Un- tionalist backlash.
CASE STUDY TURKEY EVENING CONVERSATION 22 23
foreign policy. This matter shows also the lack of Cihan Tekeli is an educator and consultant for the knowledge on other themes in our societies but also InterCultural Alliance and the International Depart- the challenges in separating the Holocaust and his- ment of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. He has also been a senior fellow of Humanity in Action since tory from modern day politics.”
July 2008 and has worked in the field of Islamophobia Muhsine Önal, a sociology student in Istanbul, par- in the Netherlands. Born in Amsterdam to parents ticipated in a Turkish video project of the Anne Frank from Turkey, Cihan Tekeli told the audience that he House (Amsterdam) and presented her project of senses different dynamics as he is not white and a ‟free to choose” video clips which aim to promote Muslim. the understanding of human rights. Mr. Tekeli – who
leads the video project on behalf of the AFH – ex- Mr. Tekeli reflected on his activity in the Netherlands plained that the Anne Frank House trains interna- at the Anne Frank House, which he joined in 2009. tional participants in the program in how to create a The Anne Frank House took its exhibition to Turkey in search of Turkish partners, as the organization usually video and edit it. Students return to their countries, choose the topic and create the clips. A small bro- partners with organizations locally. In Turkey, the chure is added to the videos explaining the back- Anne Frank House is often seen as a Jewish or Israeli ground, and currently a teacher manual is being cre- organization, which is not the case, the speaker ex- ated. Mr. Tekeli explained that while arguments in plained. After a year of active searching, the Anne these clips could in fact be used by extremists, it is Frank House managed to establish partnerships with more important to come to schools and present them local and national NGOs. These partnerships resulted there. Some of the clips have no connection to the in the production of a Turkish-English Anne Frank ex- Anne Frank House, but do promote ethical discus- hibition, a peer guide training for Turkish youngsters sions. and the touring of the exhibition through several schools and universities in Istanbul. He informed the Ms. Önal presented three clips: One such clip illus- group that a working relationship has been estab- trated a Turkish news commentator’s open prejudice lished with the Turkish Ministry of Education, which against the Kurdish population; another depicted the he hopes will allow the Anne Frank House to present strong nationalism evoked in an obligatory oath Turk- its exhibition in Turkish state schools. He feels that ish children are required to repeat in school each education in Turkey is mostly in the hands of tradi- morning; and a third centered on an unfinished me- tionalist scholars and that teachers in Turkey are morial to the Roma victims of the Holocaust in Berlin. ‟resistant” to teaching a course on discrimination, Ms. Önal expressed her belief that before Holocaust which was mandated in 2009 by the Ministry of Na- education can be introduced in Turkey, an under- tional Education. standing of human rights has to be promoted in order to teach people how to respect each other and how In terms of challenges for Holocaust education in his to coexist. In her opinion videos on human rights of- home country, the Netherlands, the speaker sees a fer an interesting tool for opening discussions. The “lack of research on what is taught in relation to the aim of the videos is to give people a chance to ex- Holocaust and how it is taught to students from a press themselves (some of whom might not necessar- non-Western background” and although there is a ily know much about the theme) and to collect reac- general understanding of what teachers are doing tions and ideas from them as a way to engage with and which materials they are using, there is no sub- the audience of the videos. This led to an interesting stantial data or real knowledge of the situation. He discussion in the group: one participant felt that such recognises that many materials dealing with World War II and the Holocaust exist, but teachers are not videos—using spontaneous interviews—might bear the danger of having been made with a specific ob- always aware of the choices available. Mr Tekeli ar- jective of achieving an audience reaction, or that they gues that teachers are often hesitant in teaching the might spread false information as well. Others Holocaust out of fear of their own lack of knowledge stressed the lively discussion such videos, having or the possible reactions they might get from their been made by peers, might awake in classrooms. students. “Many times the lessons on the Holocaust Also, the collaborative effort of editing the video was or antisemitism end up in endless and deconstructive seen as an interesting education model to address debates on the Middle East conflict or Western such themes.
CASE STUDY TURKEY EVENING CONVERSATION 22 23
EVENING CONVERSATION IN THE GREAT HALL from within the country” – as the Government in this Chair: Klaus Mueller (Germany) respect seems to be unwilling to accept such propos- Speakers: Abdellah Benhssi (Morocco), als from inside Morocco especially in light of its rela- Karel Fracapane (France) tions with Israel. Moroccan Jews who were in France at the time of the German occupation were deported Klaus Mueller in his introduction pointed out that the but teachers do not have much information about two colleagues are working in very different condi- this. The Centre du Sud pour le Developpement, tions from each other: Abdellah Benhssi speaks on Dialogues et Citoyente is trying to create materials in behalf of a small NGO that lacks government support cooperation with Yad Vashem. The speaker ex- and often is forced to conduct its work cautiously and pressed hope that his organization and the Govern- non-publically, whereas Mr. Fracapane works for the ment of Morocco will cooperate in introducing the largest international body with a clear programmatic Holocaust into the high school curriculum. mandate for Holocaust education. Departing from this observation, the conversation and discussion fo- Karel Fracapane is cused on how NGOs can be supported by larger inter- UNESCO’s Program national networks and institutions, such as UNESCO, Specialist on Holocaust the ITF, USHMM or the Salzburg Global Seminar Ini- Issues in the Division of tiative, but also looked into the many difficulties Education for Peace and Holocaust education is facing within a diplomatically Sustainable Develop- sensitive environment, such as UNESCO. ment. His responsibili- ties include advancing Abdellah Benhssi, President and co-founder of Centre education on the Holo- du Sud pour le Developpement, Dialogues et Ci- caust in UN member toyente in Morocco has been active in NGOs promot- states. The speaker explained that in many of these ing tolerance, democracy and minority rights there. countries historical memory is primarily preserved by He has also organized events on Holocaust com- small organizations and Jewish communities; never- memoration in Morocco. Dr. Benhssi explained that theless it is necessary to bring Holocaust education he is a Berber, and on the agenda of countries at a political level. The that his ethnic UNESCO mandate is global, and is currently promot- group has historic ing a discourse that could be acceptable for U.N. links with Jews. member states, involving Holocaust studies as an in- Morocco’s popula- strument of genocide prevention. Furthermore, the tion consists of fact that many nations have to deal with their own 48% of Berbers, traumatic and difficult pasts may require that the Arabs and about Holocaust is taught in the context of local human 2000 Jews who are rights perspectives. In order to advance Holocaust “not very visible”, but maintain synagogues and Jew- education globally, Mr. Fracapane organizes expert ish communities. He noted increasing “propaganda” meetings in consultation with member countries to happening in Morocco in the form of hate speech and explore the different facets pertaining to Holocaust antisemitism. and genocide education. He also described a mapping study that is currently documenting teaching pro- He explained that there is no mention of the Holo- grams, assessing textbooks and teaching materials caust in Moroccan school books, and stated that worldwide. He argued that it is important to develop there is no institutional support within Morocco for universally acceptable standards for teaching the his- Holocaust education. While major changes are hap- tory of the Holocaust. A consultation meeting in Cape pening in Tunisia and Egypt, there are demonstrations Town of government representatives from African in Morocco, but there is not much reform. Dr. Benhssi countries is planned for the fall of 2012. As a next emphasized that it is very important to get European step, the organization will work locally with the gov- Holocaust education organizations to cooperate with ernments on how to address the teachers and deal Moroccan civil society organizations. “It will be much with teaching materials. The speaker explained that easier if this is coming from the outside, rather than this is a slow process and must be tailored to the dy- namics inherent in each individual country.
WORKING GROUPS WORKING GROUPS 24 25
WORKING GROUPS: Participants were assigned to one of four working groups, scheduled to meet a total of three times for 1.5 hours each. The purpose of the groups was to allow members to discuss issues raised in the sympo- sium in greater depth. In order to assist the discus- sion each session was assigned a focus topic. It was not expected that the group come to a consensus but rather to allow individuals to explain their different perspectives and practices, and to share different na- tional, regional and cultural circumstances.
Discussions in the working groups are briefly summa- rized below. Aloys Mahwa and Anatoly Podolsky
1: Why teach the Holocaust? What should be our serve age-specific and content-appropriate teaching, focus and goals when teaching about the Holocaust? adequate tools to support that type of teaching, the How can we best teach about the Holocaust? need to respect the cultural context (tolerance and human rights not to be misinterpreted as an instru- In discussing the reasons why the Holocaust should ment of “Western” domination), and to de-emphasize be taught, Working Group 1 noted that teaching the terminology when comparing genocides (as every Holocaust is necessary as a means “for prevention of genocide is unique in some aspects) thereby creating crimes again humanity” and as a necessary process in a comparative, not a competitive approach. understanding the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust and in understanding other genocides. As to the question of how best to teach it, members rec- 2: In regard to the ITF’s paper on “Holocaust, Geno- ommended taking a critical approach that stimulates cide, and Crimes Against Humanity: Suggestions for questions and discussion. In addition, accurate facts Classroom Teachers”, please discuss how relevant are very important. The group recommended moving these suggestions are to your educational circum- from numbers to personal stories, with careful selec- stances; consider what is missing from this paper tion of materials by integration and combination of and what suggestions you would propose for im- personal stories that contain a concrete testimony. proving it. Important teaching tools include using film for chil- dren, bringing them to exhibitions and memorials, Participants in Working Group 1 felt that, even and using imagery for telling the horrible stories to though the framework of the ITF paper is very Euro- adults. Participants in Working Group 4 also provided pean-centered, the definitions of genocide in the specific recommendations, namely: the need to ob- booklet are of wider relevance. They urged that the national contexts of countries or regions where the Holocaust is taught should be acknowledged, and that recommendations for quality control of teaching be included.
In Working Group 2, participants argued that the document suffers from a lack of clarity of purpose. They criticized the lists of themes and information that the educator needs to know in order to deal with the topic in the classroom as “too long and raw” and thus not suitable for normative school systems.
In Working Group 3, some thought the document Dan Napolitano and Matteo Bergamini “works fine” and is relevant, but lacks an element of WORKING GROUPS 25
ways of studying the Holocaust would be welcome, and methodological suggestions and references to tools enabling them to make an assessment of bene- fits and impacts of Holocaust education would be welcome.
3: Please discuss what you see as the major current challenges and opportunities in teaching about the Holocaust and what specific recommendations you would make for improving Holocaust education in your regions.
In Working Group 1, major challenges included Deborah Dwork and group seek the outdoors to work antisemitism in some societies, such as Turkey, and changing national curricula to include the topic. Teacher training on the subject was also cited as an fighting against denial. It needs to include more important challenge, as was the need to understand about the prevention of genocide (e.g., mechanisms other types of genocides and develop comparative to prevent, such as education). Some felt that the studies of Holocaust and genocide education. They document begs the question of how to justify teach- ing the Holocaust; how to teach it in effective, rigor- stressed the need to foster networking, communica- ous and adequate ways, and that there needs to be a tion, sharing best practices, and promoting coopera- preliminary step that includes sensitizing people to tion among Ministries of Education in various regions. the topic’s importance. This is particularly necessary There should be structures to train teachers, create in countries not directly touched by the Holocaust. guidelines which are appropriate to the cultural and academic context, improve timing in the curricula, One comment was that it needs a linkage to human teach about Jewish life before the Holocaust, and pro- rights, ethics and civics in order to reach a wider audi- vide study excursions. ence. In its current version it seems to be largely based on a historical and genocide-comparative per- Discussion in Working Group 2 focused more on the spective. The section on definitions seems like a dic- tionary, i.e., a “dry approach”, and examples should question What is the Holocaust paradigm and which be included. Additional terms and subjects such as issues can we isolate and formulate as universal tolerance, antisemitism and human rights should be ideas arising out of society's experience in contend- included and distinctions between official institutions ing with the Holocaust? The group found that the and NGOs need to be drawn. The document needs to Holocaust has already become a paradigm, and we need to understand what this paradigm is, and what provide a context for other countries. its implications and potential applications are. The
vast experience gathered through decades of dealing Participants from Working Group 4 noted that the with the Holocaust can serve as an enormous pool of structure seems useful for educators (definition, sum- mary of international law) but that the legal part needs improvement. They posited that if the topic is approached through case studies, teachers should put them in their historic context. A “mystification” of the Holocaust should be avoided (Holocaust as a unique “starting point” would present a danger to comparative studies.) They agreed that care needs to be taken with terms such as “extreme” and “unique”. One participant noted that the term “genocide” was not coined during World War II, since Raphael Lemkin proposed a definition of genocide as early as 1933. Others suggested that statements about alternative
WORKING GROUPS TOUR OF THE OBERSALZBERG 26 27
experience, allowing for structure and a systematic more people into the public conversation (e.g., by approach. They provided the following recommenda- creating a regional network). It was emphasized here tions: too that it is important to create a comparative ap- gathering historical data, which proach. Another challenge is the definition/meaning necessitates the opening and conserving of of the concept of genocide itself. archives and safeguarding locations of significance. Working Group 4 saw a major challenge in the ab- sence of specific definitions on what Holocaust Educa- humanizing the events, through the tion comprises. This could lead to the danger of ap- analytical and representational threefold pearing to “over-privilege” the Holocaust and could structure of civil society, perpetrators and be sensed as imposing a paradigm or excluding other victims. genocides. Another challenge is the possibility that Holocaust education is used to hide other elements of taking human dignity and responsibility national history or for other political purposes. There seriously, implying both the appropriate is an absence of trained educators (e.g. in Africa, treatment of the past as well as the Asia), and training programs funded by ITF, UNESCO present, i.e. how do we depict the etc. should be encouraged. Encounters with the evi- historical agents with dignity and dence of the Holocaust are becoming more difficult responsibility, and how do we take learners with an increasing lack of survivors: this is an oppor- and visitors to memorial sites today and tunity for the Shoah video archives to take into ac- create settings which dignify them. count special regional needs. The group recom- mended using integrative approaches to teach peace Participants in Working Group 3 felt that a current and tolerance, encouraging the harmonization of cur- major challenge is how to combat Holocaust denial, ricula (e.g. interest in Holocaust education in China especially in the Muslim world. An important recom- faces a lack of coordination), encouraging the use of mendation would be to link education on the Holo- literature and audio-visuals in the language of the caust with other genocides, and to determine links targeted country by facilitating translations of works between the Holocaust and the history of each coun- on the Holocaust into various languages (e.g. Korean), try. It is important to discuss the Holocaust outside encouraging the introduction of Holocaust-related the domain of Israeli politics and within the human literature in language courses (of special relevance in rights dimension. A key challenge/opportunity is to countries which were neither directly involved nor enlarge the scope of Holocaust education; to bring exile destinations), creating age-specific teaching materials.
Florian Beierl explains the site of Hitler’s former residence on the Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden
TOUR OF THE OBERSALZBERG 27
Tour of Obersalzberg and Documentation Center
Florian Beierl (Germany),researcher, PhD. candidate in history at the University of Salzburg and co-founder of the Obersalzberg Institute, a citizen advocacy organization designed to promote responsible state stewardship of the historic ruins at Obersalzberg, introduced the members of the symposium to the history of “Hitler’s mountain” and conducted a tour of the Berghof ruins, the site of Hitler’s private alpine residence, where many key decisions of the Nazi regme were taken. Mr. Beierl explored in particular the complexities and sensitivities related to the preservation of perpetrator sites (Täterorte) such as the Obersalzberg, compared with victim sites (Opferorte), such as Dachau and Auschwitz. The group also participated in a guided tour of the Obersalzberg Documentation Center. The center was established by the State of Bavaria in 1999 as a response to domestic and international pressure following the demolition of many of the historic buildings and relics. The center has since become a successful model for managing sensitive historical sites. Those participating on the tour appreciated the efforts undertaken by the government to document and interpret the history of the National Socialist Regime and the Holocaust, even though some thought the exhibition could have been more “site-specific” and have included more English translations.
Left: one of the many inscriptions on the bunker walls by soldiers, who liber- ated the Obersalz- berg; this one by a French division
Right: subterranean access to the remains of the bunker complex
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS 28 29
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Chair: Dan Napolitano (USA)
Dan Napolitano introduced this section, designed to reveal and share essential information and conclusions generated during the symposium. He referred to the approach as a "World Cafe"* and quoted an old African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone - if you want to go far - go together”. Participants were asked to focus on six different questions.
If you want to go fast, go alone—
If you want to go far– go together.
African proverb
Should we study this? What do we need?
Should the Holocaust be studied in your country or Which resources and training related to learning in other countries/regions; why or why not? How, if about Holocaust history do you use or do you wish at all, does the Holocaust illuminate issues in your you had, and which organizations inside and outside country or other countries? of your country supply these resources and training?
Responses varied from statements indicating that the The “wish list” included: a teachers’ guidance pack, Holocaust should be studied ‟in the national context translated into local languages, a local resource of those countries where it occurred” to ‟in all center, materials adapted to local/regional needs, countries as a contribution to avoiding atrocities by and larger strategic support in the form of advocacy understanding how they happen” and what existing groups, regional/global consultation forums and undercurrents can rise to become direct aggression, international assistance in leveraging national as well as a means to ‟illuminate our own history and government support. to help us deal with traumatic issues in our own past”, particularly in countries which have played the Some participants noted that they are using roles of both the oppressor and oppressed. There was government published or supported materials, while caution that the Holocaust should ‟NOT be studied as indicating that these do not yet contain education on a way of avoiding awkward issues nearer home (local such issues as homophobia. history of suffering and conflict should be studied first or in a concomitant manner).
* The World Café : each table was equipped with flipchart paper, pens and a question. In this “debriefing of the groups by the groups”, symposium participants were asked to spread out, and spend ten minutes brainstorming, writing results on the flipcharts. Subsequently, all but one member of the table shifted to other tables. The one person stayed to introduce each new group to the specific question and previous discussion. Thus, participants added to the answers they found as they moved around the room. Finally, the groups were asked to summarize essential table conclusions on one sheet of the flip- chart. CONCLUSIONS 29
What is relevant? How do you know?
Which genocides are of interest to you and your Outside of formal school programs, how do people country and why, and what lessons from Holocaust in your country or region learn about the Holocaust education are related to them? through popular culture, i.e. which films, books, television, etc. are influential? The list of genocides of interest included former Yugoslavia (with a particular repetition of Srebenica), Participants agreed that the Diary of Anne Frank the colonial past, colonialism in Africa, the Holocaust, stands as an example of the methodology to try to Rwanda, and genocides committed under Stalin’s understand the Holocaust through the eyes of one rule. victim, especially in its inclusion of helpers and surviving children, and has been made available in Lessons from Holocaust education of interest to the countries which otherwise have little exposure to the participants’ countries ranged from Holocaust Holocaust. In addition, popular and educational films education as a tool for genocide prevention; to include Schindler's List, Sophie’s Choice, The Pianist, understanding the dangers of National Socialism; and La Vita e bella, The Boy in Striped Pajamas. The to exploring commonalities between the Holocaust media through radio, newspapers, and social and other genocides in order to have greater networks are also influential, as are the performing understanding and a clearer definition of genocide in arts. a local context. Memorial sites and museums play a large role in teaching about the Holocaust; remembrance and commemorative events such as January 27, as well as anniversaries of Kristallnacht, Babyn Jar (Ukraine), Yom HaShoá are important reminders, often organized by local organizations. Participants noted that conferences, seminars, publications, public events (‟Letter to the Stars” in Austria for example) and writing contests also bring awareness of the Holocaust.
CONCLUSIONS FOR THE FUTURE 30 31
What about my country?
What topics within Holocaust history are of particular interest to you and your society, and why? How can outside organizations help your countries learn about these topics?
Topics of interest included the role of bystanders and rescuers, prejudice, human behavior, in addition to specific historical cases of relevance to specific countries such as colonization in North Africa and the role of Vichy France, and the question of how society at large participated in or enabled mass murder to happen. There is an interest in examining the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic and studying early warning signs in order to avoid the ‟road to genocide”.
As a way for outside organizations to help countries learn about these topics, networking on all levels was stressed, and the point was made that some things can only be achieved with help from organizations on the outside that provide resources, technical support, outreach, and can promote advocacy on the regional and global level.
FOR THE FUTURE 31
For the Future...
What have you learned at the seminar, and what will you take away with you?
Responses stressed the important opportunity of networking, and the building of an African, as well as a Latin American, Network on Holocaust education.
“The Seminar brought together a number of Fellows from other African countries, who otherwise may not have met nor made the commitment which we have to forming closer ties in order to develop Holocaust education in our continent.”
Tracey Petersen, South Africa
“It is important to learn about other genocides and link them to the Holocaust. I will take with me much information about other genocides and also many new contacts with African friends to build an African network to teach the Holocaust and genocide. “
Abdellah Benhssi, Morocco
“[this conference] has contributed enormously on helping me understand the role my organization must focus on regarding Holocaust education on a local context, with a broader view and approaches. The present Latin Americans at Salzburg, are already working together to come up with a regional effort towards sharing and boosting our impact both locally and regionally.”
Alejandra Morales Stekel, Chile
Participants agreed on both the importance of the national frame and its history (including possible histories of genocide, mass violence), as well as the integration of this history into Holocaust education, and the importance of universal application of the Holocaust (no national ownership.)
“In this week we reached a new understanding that the Holocaust and the Great Ukranian Famine are general humanitarian tragedies in the context of world history of the 20th century with the same characteristics: totalitarianism, human rights violations, conditions of war. If we expect people to understand our tragedy, we need to feel other tragedies. The Holocaust is universal and touches all countries and histories, not only in Europe.”
Igor Shchupak, Ukraine
PARTICIPANTS 32 33
Conveners: Aloys Mahwa Klaus Mueller Chair Executive Director and Researcher, Interdisciplinary Genocide Representative for Europe, United States Holocaust Memorial Studies Center in Kigali, Rwanda Museum, Member of the US Delegation to the ITF; USA/Germany Harutyun Marutyan Clare Shine Researcher, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, National Chief Programme Officer, Salzburg Global Seminar Academy of Sciences of Armenia; Visiting Professor of Anthropology at Yerevan State University, Armenia Edward Mortimer Senior Program Advisor, Salzburg Global Seminar François Masabo Senior Researcher, Lecturer and Associate Professor, Center for Dan Napolitano Conflict Management , National University of Rwanda, Rwanda Director of Teacher Education and Special Programs, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), Member of the Muhsine Önal US Delegation to the ITF; USA Sociology student, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
Marie-Louise Ryback Tracey Petersen Program Director, Salzburg Global Seminar Education Director, Cape Town Holocaust Centre, South Africa
Anatoly Podolsky Historian, Director of the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, Participants: Ukraine
Maria Eugenia Balza Juan Diego Reyes Civil Lawyer and Tutor for the American School in Caracas, Director, National Baccalaureate, Ecuador Venezuela Goran Sadikarijo Abdellah Benhssi Chief Executive Officer, Holocaust Funds and Holocaust Memorial Co-Founder, DIALOGUS and Centre South, Morocco Center, Macedonia
Kenan Çayır Sayana Ser Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Sociology and Outreach Team Leader, Documentation Center of Cambodia; Educational Studies Division, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey Manager of “Voices of Genocide Survivors” radio program, Ho-Keun Choi Cambodia Research Professor, Institute for the Study of History, Korea Igor Shchupak University, Republic of Korea Director,“Tkuma” All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, Debórah Dwork Museum of Jewish History and Holocaust, Ukraine Rose Professor of Holocaust History and Director, Strassler Jon Shelton Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University; PhD Candidate at the University of Maryland, USA Member of the US Delegation to the ITF, USA Yael Siman Druker Karel Fracapane Founder and Director, Nenemi Paxia, Mexico Program Specialist for Holocaust Education, Division of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, UNESCO; UNESCO Alejandra Morales Stekel Representative to the ITF; France Co-Founder and Executive Director, Fundación Memoria Viva, Chile Richard Freedman Director, South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation, Cihan Tekeli South Africa Educator and Consultant, InterCultural Alliance and the International Department, Anne Frank House, Netherlands Michael Haider Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Glenn Timmermans Associate Professor, Department of English, Faculty of Social Deputy Head Austrian ITF Delegation, Austria Sciences and Humanities, University of Macao, China
Edward Kissi *** Associate Professor, Department of Africana Studies, University of South Florida, USA Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos Guest Panelist Yariv Lapid Head of the Equality and Citizens’ Rights Department, European Director of Pedagogy, Mauthausen Memorial, Member of Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Austria Austrian Delegation to the ITF, Austria
Albert Lichtblau Vice Chair , History Department and Chair of the Center for Jewish Cultural History, University of Salzburg, Austria
PARTICIPANTS 32 33
LEARNING FROM THE PAST: GLOBAL PERSPECITIVES ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION JUNE 27– JULY 1, 2012
PROGRAM SUPPORT: PUBLICATION: Kaja Shonick Glahn, Program Director Rapporteur: Florian Beierl Kathrin Bachleitner, Program Associate Photo Credits: Robert S. Fish Matteo Bergamini, Intern Editing & Layout: Katharina Schwarz
CHALLENGING PRESENT AND FUTURE LEADERS TO SOLVE ISSUES OF GLOBAL CONCERN
The Salzburg Global Seminar is a unique international institution focused on global change – a place dedicated to candid dialogue, fresh thinking and the search for innovative but practical solutions. Founded in 1947, it challenges current and future leaders to develop creative ideas for solving global problems, and has brought more than 25,000 participants from 150 countries and regions to take part in its programs. The Salzburg Global Seminar convenes imaginative thinkers from different cultures and institutions, organizes problem-focused initiatives, supports leadership development, and engages opinion-makers through active communication networks, all in partnership with leading institutions from around the world and across different sectors of society.
WWW.SALZBURGGLOBAL.ORG